Generally there exists a variety of different multilayer structures in the context of electronics and electronic products. Multilayered solutions may be manufactured using thermoforming, molding, adhesives, heat and/or pressure based lamination, etc. In-mold decoration (IMD)/in-mold labeling (IML) may be harnessed to incorporate desired coloring and e.g. graphical patterns within the structure.
The motivation or need striving for multilayer structures may be as diverse as the related use contexts. Relatively often size savings, weight savings, cost savings, or just efficient integration of components is sought for when the determined solution ultimately exhibits a multilayer nature. In turn, the associated use scenario may relate to product packages or food casings, visual design of device housings, displays, detectors or sensors, vehicle interiors, antennae, labels, etc.
Electronics such as electronic components, ICs (integrated circuit), and conductors, may be generally provided into or onto a multilayer structure by a plurality of different techniques. Naturally ready-made electronics such as available surface mount devices (SMD) may be mounted on a substrate that ultimately forms an inner or outer layer of a multilayer structure. Additionally, technologies falling under the term “printed electronics” may be applied to actually produce electronics directly to the associated substrate. The term “printed” refers in this case to various printing techniques capable of producing electronics/electrical elements, including but not limited to screen printing, flexography, and inkjet printing.
When the electronics is included in a multi-layer structure such that it is embedded between a number of surrounding material layers, the interface between the layers and the electronics, e.g. between the substrate of the electronics and the actual mounted or printed electronics, is affected, which causes deforming and staining of the materials. These phenomena are often noticeable from outside the structure by the user thereof. For instance, the resulting aesthetic and tactile discontinuities, or ‘errors’, such as perceivable, abrupt color changes within the multilayer structure and unintended roughness or unevenness of the surface of the multilayer structure arising from the internal deformation, respectively, may confuse the user in a number of ways and reduce the usability, durability and quality impression (if not actually quality, which is possible as well depending on the technical attributes used for assessing it) of the overall product including the multilayer structure.